Blog from Family Affair

by Paul Michael, July 22nd, 2012

Our journey is at an end. We’re a few miles from the finish. Our families are waiting for us at the dock
party in Lahaina. We are very much looking forward to seeing each other and spending a week in the
islands.

After a tough night of light to no wind in the wake of heavy squalls, we tapped into the trusty trades at
daybreak and enjoyed a beautiful 15 knot port close reach for the final 100 miles under white sails. The
mountains of Maui were just coming into sight at dusk. Under a rising crescent moon, we can now see
lights on the hills. For my first ocean crossing, it’s nice to have a visual confirmation rather than just a
blip of land on the computer screen. It’s really there. We really did it.

Our cell phones sprung to life about 40 miles out. We had a chance to catch up with family.

We may not have placed in the top ranks of the race fleet, but we all learned a tremendous amount and
have accomplished our goal of delivering an undamaged boat with an uninjured crew. Our first aid kit
was virtually untouched. We dispensed a blister pad and some ibuprofen.

We joked about doing a blazing round up and knockdown, screeching across the finish line sideways, but
we lost the swells and trade winds as we were shadowed by the island south of Hawea Point. Instead
we and the boat both breathed a sigh of relief and enjoyed a gentle glide under the stars with city lights
on the shore surrounding us.

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